I
sprinted down the deserted road. Everything was silent except for the
sound of my running feet. I knew I had a slim chance of escaping, but
I had to try. I bolted around the corner of a building and into a
thin alley way. Jason and his men were right behind me.
“Give it up girl! You'll never get away!” Jason
yelled behind me. I knew he was right, but I kept running.
I felt the adrenaline racing through my body. This was
one of those times. One of those life or death situations. My heart
beat fast from running, and fear. I had to escape. Just get beyond
the alley. That was just how far I had to go. A mire fifty feet. I
was almost to the end of the alley way, and so close to freedom, but
I never made it to the street. Two men suddenly stepped out of the
shadows standing in front of me. I tried to run in between them, but
their strong arms stopped me and held me tight as I struggled to get
free. I was strong for my age, but I was no match for two full grown
men. The men turned me around until I faced Jason. He had stopped
running not far away and was walking towards me now. An annoyed
expression on his face.
“Where is it?” Jason demanded. He was referring to
the tape recorder I had used to record information from one of his
top secret meetings. I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't going to tell him
that I had thrown it into a bush as I had run past.
“Search her,” Jason commanded. His goons obeyed him
without question. The men that were holding me pushed me to the
ground on my stomach. I cringed as my cheek touched the cold, wet,
slimy ground. Someone began patting me down. Pulling my jacket off
roughly and rifling through my loose clothes. It didn't take them
long to find the gun on my hip and the earpiece in my ear that
connected me to Base. I was unarmed quickly and the search continued.
My pockets were emptied of the few possessions I stored in them. Even
my sneakers were searched. I thrashed around, kicking someone, but it
didn't seem to help me. Someone was holding my arms out to either
side and someone else had my legs pinned down. The only thing I could
do was scream.
I thought for a moment. Scream and maybe be killed. Be
quiet, hope Lizabell notices I'm in trouble, and then maybe die if
she doesn't. I had no real choice, as usual. I decided against
screaming and put all my faith, and my life, in Lizabell. I thrashed
around again, waiting to see what Jason and his goons would do to me
next.
“Well?” Jason asked impatiently.
“She was heavily armed for a punk...but no tape,”
one of his men replied.
“Where is it girl?!” Jason demanded angrily. It was
then that I realized Jason didn't recognize me. My hidden identity
was the only thing that was keeping me from being taken by the spies,
and most likely tortured to death. If Jason never recognized me I
would at least die a quick death.
The men holding me let me go. I quickly scrambled onto
my hands and knees. I was about to get onto my feet when a rough hand
grabbed the front of my dirty shirt. The hand pulled up and made me
stand on my knees with my head pointed towards the person holding me.
Despite the hand that was just under my chin I attempted to look
down. I couldn't risk Jason finding out who I was. Another hand
roughly jerked my head up. I quickly looked up and then sideways. The
same rough hand grabbed me under my chin and forced me to look at
Jason.
I met the cruel brown eyes and sharp features of Jason.
Jason Ritters was a man in his late thirties. He was muscular and
stood at six feet tall. He was one of the best spies in the world,
and he was my enemy. He was looking at me with annoyance painted on
his face. Our eyes locked. The cruel fire behind Jason's eyes burned
bright and then cooled with pleasure. The moment I realized Jason
recognized me I tried to jerk my head away from his hand, but he held
my face still. His hand let go of my shirt, but held my chin.
“Well, well, well. Look who I found,” Jason said
pleasantly.
I pulled away from Jason and stumbled back onto my
hands and knees. I had to escape. My life was depending on it,
especially now that Jason knew who I was. I jumped to my feet and
turned, attempting to bolt for the end of the alley way. It was so
close, but yet so far. I made it three steps closer to freedom when I
was again grabbed by two of Jason's goons. They held me tightly as I
struggled for my life. The men held me with ease and turned me
around. Holding my arms they kept me restrained. Jason came closer
until his face was only an inch from mine. He smiled and then began
walking around me and his goons.
“I'm hurt Jocelyn,” Jason started. “I'm hurt you
would try to hide your beautiful face from me.”
His voice was smooth, with fake sorrow pounded into it.
I heard the soft, squishy footsteps as Jason walked behind me. I
could feel his breath on the back of my neck. Every hair on my body
stood on end and I felt goose bumps on my arms. I shut my eyes and
tried to focus. Tried to think of something I could do to let
Lizabell know I needed her. I had no radio, I couldn't scream, I
couldn't free myself. I had nothing. I had no way of getting the help
I needed. I felt Jason's breath on my cheek. I cringed and squeezed
my eyes tighter.
“I've been looking for you for so long,” Jason said
dragging out the word 'so' as if he were telling a sad tale. I could
feel Jason move. His breath was on my ear, breathing out air that
dripped with ice and death. “It will be a pleasure to be remembered
as the man who took Jocelyn Collins to her grave,” Jason whispered
into my ear.
I pulled my head away from Jason unable to bare the
thought of being killed so young. I had my whole life in front of me,
and I truly believed it was about to end. Then I remembered what I
had to offer if I remained alive. Jason wouldn't kill me, not now at
least. He would torture me and then kill me when I told him what he
wanted. That is, if he could get the information out of me. I told
myself again and again I would die rather than tell anyone the
information I had, but I knew I wouldn't be able to hold against
torture. Especially not at the hands of Jason.
“Take her to the cars,” Jason instructed his men.
Then to me he said. “Happy nightmares Jocelyn. Blaire will be happy
to see you again.”
A cloth doused with chloroform pulled over my face. My
eyes shot open and I tried to struggle. Remembering what I had been
taught I held my breath, but my breath was poisoned with chloroform.
Even as I struggled I was growing tired. The men holding me resisted
my struggles with ease. From the first moment I knew it was only a
matter of time before I would see nothing. I could feel the fearful
fire behind my eyes, the fire that was slowly being put out. I gave
up struggling as my body became numb. I just stared at Jason with
fearful eyes. He smiled at me as I started to drift away. What cruel
eyes Jason had. Eyes the pierced right into your soul and filled your
body with paralyzing ice. He was like the evil witch from Narnia,
except the death he caused was real. I stared at him, knowing that
the next time I saw him, it would be on my death bed. A slight
movement caught my shortening attention. Through fading vision, I
could just make out the dark gun and the long, wavy hair that crept
through the darkness like a shadow. Lizabell.
My world turned as black as the darkest night, but
there were no stars to keep me company. I was alone in the darkness,
alone in my worst nightmares.
